an allegory.
231
From his trance of rapture, wildly waking,
Lo! the lost, infatuated boy,
Flush'd with hope, the fatal chalice taking,
Bends to quaff,—his ruin, in his joy!
Hark! those tones, melodiously breaking
O'er his soul, the sinful spell destroy!
Lo! the lost, infatuated boy,
Flush'd with hope, the fatal chalice taking,
Bends to quaff,—his ruin, in his joy!
Hark! those tones, melodiously breaking
O'er his soul, the sinful spell destroy!
Turning now, he sees a veilèd vision,
That has stood beside him all the while;
Beauty dawning, with a light elysian,
Through the snowy gauze, as morning's smile
Glows and glistens 'neath her wreathed mist,
All the lovelier for that shade, I wist.
That has stood beside him all the while;
Beauty dawning, with a light elysian,
Through the snowy gauze, as morning's smile
Glows and glistens 'neath her wreathed mist,
All the lovelier for that shade, I wist.
Veil'd from head to foot,—her fair arms folding
With a sweet composure on her breast,
And a cross of pearl, serenely holding
In her hand, with tender reverence press'd:
With a sweet composure on her breast,
And a cross of pearl, serenely holding
In her hand, with tender reverence press'd:
One soft-gleaming star, amid the braiding
Of her raven hair, her brow illumes;
Beautiful, exceedingly, the shading
Of the rose, that on her pure cheek blooms!
Of her raven hair, her brow illumes;
Beautiful, exceedingly, the shading
Of the rose, that on her pure cheek blooms!
Like the music-fall of water playing,
Freshly in the burning summer-tide,
Freshly in the burning summer-tide,
